Electrically-illuminated sign.



PATENTED NOV. 17, 1903.

J. H. GOEHST. ELEGTRIGALLY ILLUMINATED SIGN.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 19, 1903.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

N0 MODEL.

. T all whom it may concern.-

UNITED STATES Patented November 1'7, 1903 PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN I-I. GOEHST, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO FEDERAL ELECTRICCOMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

ELECTRICALLY-ILLUMINATED SIGN.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 744,831, dated November17, 1903.

Application filed March 19, 1903.

Be it known that I, JOHN H. GOEHsT, of Chicago, in the county of Cookand State of Illinois, have invented certain new and use-- fulImprovements in Electrically-Illuminated Signs; and I do' hereby declarethat the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters ofreference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

'This invention relates to improvements in electrieallyilluminated signsof that class in which the face of the sign is made of metal and servesto support incandescent lamps by which the sign is illuminated.

The invention consists in the matters hereinafter described, and pointedout in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, illustrating niyinvention, Figure 1 is aview in side elevation of a sign embodying my invention, together withmeans for supporting or hanging the same. Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectionthereof, taken on line 2 2 of Fig. 1.- Fig. 3 is a detail section takenon line 3 3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a detail section taken on line 4 4 ofFig. 2. Fig. 5 is a fragmentary face View of a sign, showing spacingplates between the lampsupporting panels of the sign. Fig. 6 is a detailperspective view showing the construction of the overlapping edges oftwo adjacent panels and an intermediate spacing-plate.

In its general construction the sign illus trated as embodying myinvention consists of a frame A and a plurality of metal plates orpanels B B, which are attached at their ends to the opposite side facesof two parallel members of the frame and form the opposite side faces ofthe sign, the said plates or panels constituting side walls, which form,with the marginal frame A, a box-like or hollow structure. The saidframe corresponds in form with the margin of the sign and maybe made inany manner adapted to give suitable strength or rigiditythereto; Asherein shown, said frame A consists of parallel top and bottom members aa andupright end members a a, which are made of metal and consist ofbars of channel shape in ross. section ar- Serial No. 148,541. (Nomodel.)

ranged with their marginal flanges directed inwardly. As illustrated andpreferably constructed, the frame consists of a single channel-bar,which is bent into the form of an open frame, the flanges on the channel-bar forming opposite fiat faces on the side edges of the frame, towhich the panels B B are secured. The said panels 13 B serve to supportthe incandescent electric lamps C C, the sockets C C of which aresecured to said panels. 6c

Each panel is provided with lamps'adapted to form a letter, figure, orcharacter, and the sign is provided with as many of such panels as thereare letters or figures on the sign, together with such plates or blankpanels as .may be necessary to form the spaces between words or figures.The lamp sockets extend through holes formed in the plates or panels andare secured thereto by means of screwrings 0, engaging screw-threads onthe inner ends of the sockets, which project inside of the plates orpanels, rubber packing rings or gaskets 0 being applied between thesockets and the plates or panels in the manner set forth in a separateapplication-for Letters Patent, Serial No. 107,103, filed by me May 12,1902.

Each plate or panel will be made of proper width to contain a singleletter, number, or character, and the panels will be secured to theframe A side by side, the top and bottom edges tom or horizontal membersa a of said frame If the letters are to be spaced in the usual manner orat the usual distance apart, the panels will meet at their side edgesand will overlap each other, so as to aiford close joints, as seen inFig. 1 but if wider spaces are required between the letters intermediatenarrower spacing-plates B will be interposed between the'panels B B,said plates B being made'of the same height as the panels and arranged Yt meet the same at their side edges, as seen in Fig. 5. At the ends ofthe sign like spacing-plates l3 may-be used to cover or fill the spacesbetween the end panels and the ends of the frame, it being usuallydesirable that the spaces between the end letters and the end margins ofthe sign should be at least as wide as the spaces between the lettersand he upper and lower margins of the sign, so no of the panels beingattached to the top and botthat there will be acontinuous border aroundthe sign, between the letters and the outer edges of the sign.

'Any suitable attaching means may be employed for securing to the framethe edges of the plates B, B, and B the means for this purpose hereinshown consisting of screws inserted through the plates and into theframe members, to which they are attached.

I11 order to insure tight joints between the margins of the plates andthe frame, I' insert packing-strips D, of rubber or the like, betweenthe said margins of the plates and the faces of the frame to which theyare secured, said packing-strips serving to prevent water from enteringthe interior space of the sign.

Such packing-strips may also be placed between the meeting edges ofadjacent panels when the sign is constructed as shown in Fig l orbetween the meeting edges of adjacent panels and plates when the sign isconstructed as shown in Fig. 5; but they will not usually be necessaryat these points because the fiat overlapping parts will in themselvesrest so closely in cont-act as to sufficiently prevent entrance of rainat-tne side faces of the sign.

The panels 15 and plates 13 andwB' are shown as provided with olfsetparts Z), I), and b at one of their side margins, such offset partsbeing arranged to overlap the meeting margins of the adjacent plates orpanels and being raised above the level of the top and bottom margins ofthe panels and plates a distance equal to the thickness of said panelsand plates, so that the said end margins will rest fiat against the sidefaces of the frame A when the overlapping margins are in contact witheach other.

The panels B 13, to which the lamps forming the letters or numbers areattached, are shaped to form around the central parts thereof andbetween the said central parts and their top, bottom, and side marginsoblique or angular bands'b which, being at an angle to the planes of themargins and central parts of the panels, serve to stiffen or giverigidity to the same, so that when said panels are made of sheet metalthey will have no tendency to bend or buckle, but will remain flat andkeep their shape. The desired stiffening effect may be afforded by bands11 made of any one of various cross-sectional forms; but, as hereinshown, the central parts of the panels are elevated above the marginalparts of the panels, and the bands 0 serve to connect said centralraised portions with the said marginal parts.

It will of course be understood that the wiring of the severallamps onthe sign will be located within the hollow interior thereof, and willthereby be protected from the weather. As shown in the drawings, supplyand return wires extend along the sockets for each panel, and said wiresare connected with cables E E, which extend through insulatingthlmbles ee, inserted in holes in the frame A.

other suitable support.

and otherconsiderations.

Forsupporting the sign rods F F are shown as inserted vertically throughthe upper and lower members of the frame and provided at their upperends with eyes ff, by which they maybe engaged wit-hasuitable support,such as the horizontal tubular rod G, which is attached to and projectsfrom a building or The cables E E are shown as extended from thethimbles c 6 through the tubular supporting-rod G, the same entering theouter end of the rod and projecting from the inner end thereof, wherethey may be connected with the wires of the supply system.

The sign illustrated is made alike on its two opposite faces, the samebeing adapted for use where both faces ofthe sign are visible ordisplayed to the public; but the invention will be equally embodied in asign one side only of which is intended to be visible and which isprovided with lamps on one of its side faces only.

In the construction of a sign made as described a frame is first made ofrectangular form of proper width to receive the panels and of the lengthrequired, according to the number of letters to be placed on the signPanels having the required letters are then selected and attached to theframe, spacing or filling plates being applied at the ends of the frameand between the panels as may be desired or preferred.

An important advantage of the construction described is that theseparate panels,

provided with letters, numbers, and characters required for signwork,may be prepared in advance of orders, and when a sign is needed itbecomes necessary merely to make a frame of the required size and tothen select and apply the panels bearing the needed letters, figures,and characters.

I claim as my invention- 1. An electrically illuminated sign comprisingarigid frame and a plurality of separate lamp-supporting panelspermanently attached to the frame and connected at their meeting marginsby means affording waterproof joints.-

2. An electrically-illuminated sign com-.

embracing a plurality of separate lamp-suprate lamp-sopp'o'rtingpanelsattached to the frame, said pancls'bcing offset at their meeting-margins to a depth equal to the thickness of the panels.

their end margins against the side faces of two parallel members of theframe and are attached thereto, said panels being joined at their sidemargins by means providing water'- proof joints.

' 6. An electricallyilluminated sign com= prising a rigid frame, aplurality of separate lamp-supporting. panels attached at two oftheirend margins to parallel menfloers of the frame and spacing orfilling plates attached at their endmargins to the said parallel membersof the frame and meeting the panels at the side margins of the latter inoverlapped relation.

' 7. An electrically illuminated sign comprising a rigid frame, aplurality of separate lamp-supporting panels attached at their endmargins to parallel members of the frame and spacing or filling platesat the ends of the sign attached to the said parallel members and to theend members of the frame, and meeting at their inner margins inoverlapped relation the outer side margins of the outermost or endpanels. y

8. An electrically-illuminated sign comprising a rigid frame, aplurality of separate lamp-supporting-panels attached at their endmargins to parallel members of the frame,

attached to the said parallel members and to the end members of theframe and meeting at their inner margins in overlapped relation theouter side margins of the outermost or end panels, and spacing orfilling plates interposed between the panels, and attached at their endsto said parallel members of the frame with their said margins meeting inoverlapped relation the adjacent side margins of the adjacent panels. I

9. An electrically-illuminated sign comprising a rigid frame, and aplurality of sepa-. rate lamp-supporting panels attached at their endmargins to the side faces of parallel members of the frame, said sidefaces being fiat and thepanels each having at one of its sides, anoutwardly offset marginal part adapted to v overlap the adjacent sidemargin of an adjacent panelor plate.

10. An electrically-illuminated sign comprising a. rigid frame and aplurality of lamp-' supporting panels attached at their end margins tothe opposite parallel members of the frame, said panels being each madeof sheet metal and having a central part which is j oined to the sideand end marginal parts of the panel by a continuous portion whichsurrounds said central part and is bent at an angle to the perprising aframe,

-ings to receiye lamp-sockets,

tions within and without the same to give stiffness to the panel, saidcentral part of the panel being perforated to receive lamp-sockets.

11. An electrically-illuminated sign com: prising a rigid frame and aplurality of sheetmetal lamp-supporting panels permanently attached attheir end margins to opposite, parallel meiiibers relation, each of saidpanels being apertured for the insertion ofa lamp socket or sockets,

and being provided with a lamp socket or sockets which is secured in-theaperture or apertures therein.

'12. Anelectrically-illuminated sign comprising a frame embracingchannel-barsar ranged with their side flanges directed inwardly and aplurality of lamp-supporting panels on each side of said frame andoverlapping at their end margins the said flanges, and means forfastening said panels to said flanges, said frame and attached panelscon stituting an inclosure to receive the inner ends of lamp-sockets.

13. An electrically-illuminated sign comprising a frameembracing acontinuous chan-' nel-bar bent to form an open or surrounding of theframe in overlapped frame with the flanges of the members directedinwardly and a plurality of lamp-supporting panels attached at their endmargins to the flanges of opposite members of the frame and joined attheir side margins by means affording waterproof joints. A

14:. An electrically-illuminated sign comprising a frame a plurality oflamp-supporting panels attached at their end margins to the side facesof opposite parallel members of the frame in overlapped relation andpacking-strips interposed between the said end margins of the panels andthe frame to form tight joints between said parts.

15L An I electrically illuminated sign coma plurality of sheet-metallamp-supporting pancls'at each side'of said frame and attached at theirends to opposite frame members and provided withopensockets extendingthrough said openings each comprising a tubular body made of insulatingmaterial and clamped on the panels, said frame being made of such widthas to receive, without interference, sockets extending through saidpanels from both sides of the sign, there-' byeonstituting an inclosureinto which the inner ends of the lamp-sockets are adapted to extend.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I affix mysignature, in presence of two witnesses, this 9th day of March, A. D.1903.-

JOHN 1-1. GOEIIST.

